Symantec: We were 'slow' with new partner programme

But vendor claims that partners are 'stoked' with new Secure One programme

Symantec has admitted that it was "slow" getting its new partner programme out, but said its resellers are "stoked" by the new model.

The security vendor previously had one combined partner programme with its Veritas information management (IM) unit. But following the sale of Veritas to an investor group in August, Symantec ditched its programme and replaced it in favour of a new one, Secure One, unveiled in October.

Speaking on the opening day of this year's Partner Engage conference in Madrid, Kevin Isaac, Symantec's senior vice president of EMEA, said the vendor could have been quicker to make the channel changes.

"We had to reignite the commercial segment, so we built Secure One," he said. "I think to be honest we were a bit slow in getting our partner programme out to you as we started.

"But let's think about it, we had to let the previous programme finish and by the way we launched a partner programme [Secure One] in six weeks. We launched it, it's a bit late, but you know what, [six weeks] is really fast and it's here and it's making a difference."

Isaac also told a room filled with more than 200 partners, that its previous model was not wholly built around its security resellers.

"We didn't have a security programme that was strongly focused on security and I don't think we had a partner programme that was driven towards you as security partners," he said. "We are now."

"Secure One is simpler; you can figure it out more easily. And there are fewer partners at this event, which means we are trying to give you more of the pie," he claimed.

Secure One

Within the previous programme, there were 11 security competencies, which have now been moved to just four; Core Security, Cyber-security Services, Threat Protection and Information Protection.

The Secure One programme also allows partners to get rebates for every dollar they sell, so if a partner sells one dollar of product, they will be entitled to a rebate, depending on their competency and what the product is. This differs from the old model which had entry-revenue requirements.

"Previously, with the old programme, you either hit the target and got paid, or you missed the target and got paid nothing," said John Thompson, head of Symantec's global channel. "Also there used to be longer horizons on some of the pay-outs, in some cases annually. We moved it to more of a quarterly approach; we want to accelerate our partner cash flow."

The new global programme has also seen the introduction of one distribution programme under the Secure One system, where before Symantec had 70 different distributor programmes.

During the partner event this week, promotions were also announced on the programme, which will see the rebates on data loss prevention (DLP) and information protection sales go from 15 per cent to 20 per cent, until the end of March.

Thompson said the reception to the new programme has been overwhelmingly positive from the channel so far.

"I think you'll find the partners are stoked," he said. "The feedback is we want to invest with them and what we are hearing back is they want to invest with Symantec."

Andy Eccles, CTO at Symantec partner Kelway, said the previous model caused a lot of channel issues.

"As I understand it, Veritas has still kept the programme that Symantec and Veritas previously used," he said. "I'm sorry to hear that, it was very difficult, very cumbersome and represented constant challenges for us. So now we are in a much simpler position from a channel engagement [perspective]."

Eccles also said the new model allows partners to deal register on products they do not a have a competency in, which is a "more balanced and effective manner".

"Before, even to promote a product, you had to have a competency, which could be quite difficult," he said.

"People can understand [the new programme] more clearly, and they don't feel intimidated in engaging. So that's clearly made a difference. As has the focus on a seemingly smaller number of more important partners, as opposed to a broad base of many many thousand."